Brain Connections

1.  Keep the following questions in mind as you progress through the activities and new information.

    a. How do advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, and genomics give us a better understanding of how early experiences are built into our bodies and brains, for better or for worse?

    b. What are some things you need to understand regarding experiences that build healthy children's brains?

    c.What are some things you need to understand regarding adult/child interactions that support optimal brain development?

    d.What are some things you need to understand regarding your role as your child's first and most influential teacher?

    e.What are some things you need to understand regarding the three different types of responses to stress and their impact on your child's development?


2. With a partner use the brain map website to name and locate basic brain anatomy vocabulary.

    1.    brain
    2.    brainstem
    3.    spinal cord
    4.    cerebellum
    5.    cerebral cortex
    6.    cerebrum
    7.    corpus collosum
    8.    pituitary gland
    9.    thalamus
    10.    frontal lobe
    11.    parietal lobe
    12.    temporal lobe
    13.    occipital lobe
    14.    dendrites
    15.    axon
    16.    synapse
    17.    neuron
    18.    neuroscience

3. Distinguish brain anatomy parts by playing the jigsaw game. Try to improve your speed each time you play. You might also want to get additional vocabulary practice with other games on this site.

4. Read how communication occurs in the brain in the Axon, Dendrites and Synapses article.

5. Watch the video Experiences Build Architecture. Write a reflection in your journal then share with a partner or small group on how this information applies to the activities you have observed in the preschool classroom and in your home.

6. Apply this information as you engage in the Baby Brain Map interactive website that explains how a baby's brain develops during different periods of brain growth and what you can do to enrich a young child's development.

7. Find a digital photograph of your child in the i-photo library or use the digital camera (or your phone) to take a photograph of your child involved in an experience that builds brain architecture. Upload this photo to the group collaborative Word google document. Add a one sentence summary that explains this concept.

8. Watch the videos Serve and Return Interaction Shapes Brain Circuitry and Toxic Stress Derails Healthy Development. Read about the Three Types of Stress. Reflect in this information in your journal then share with a partner or small group on how this information applies to the activities in the preschool classroom and in your home.

9. Find a digital photographs of your child in the i-photo library or use the digital camera to take photographs of your child that represent your understanding of both Serve and Return Interactions and Toxic Stress concepts. Upload these photos to the group collaborative Word google document. Add a one sentence summary to each photograph that explains these concepts.

10. Review the photos and statements that other students in the class contributed. Add comments or suggestions about their work using the comments feature.

11. Transfer your photos and statements to the collaborative Brain Connections Realebook.